


Defective

by Sofipitch



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 00:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7383220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sofipitch/pseuds/Sofipitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I guess I would be pretty easy to distinguish on Homeworld,” Amesthyst said. She let out a small and breathy chuckle, lacking all humor.<br/>Pearl stopped. It was so quiet and unexpected Pearl didn’t quite know how to react. A part of her wanted to deny the statement, tell Amethyst nothing was wrong with her. But lying seemed wrong. Cruel even.<br/>Written to follow the events of Too Far but before It Could’ve Been Great. Pearl and Amethyst discuss what Peridot revealed to Amethyst at the Kindergarden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Defective

Pearl felt a little saddened by the state of the world. She and Rose had fought for Earth’s safety, and now as she tucked Steven into the mattress on the back of a truck because they couldn’t really afford to not be away from the drill, the world was a mess again. Though Pearl could never have truly predicted Steven’s emergence into her life, Pearl had taken pride in the fat that the world was safe for Steven. She had created a peaceful world for him. Now there seemed to be so many cracks in the walls the whole structure was doomed to collapse at any moment.

Steven at least acted as though what was going on didn’t preoccupy him too much. But Pearl knew he had to be scared. He was such a good child, her little soldier. He smiled as she kissed his forehead and made her promise that they wouldn’t make too much noise while working on the drill. She was even digging into his health; it made her want to cry.

As soon as Pearl exited the barn she was greeted by Amethyst, slouching by the doorway.

“She’s gotten better,” Amethyst said as soon as Pearl closed the barn door.

“Who?”

“Peridot.”

“I’ll have to agree with you on that one.”

“She does use ‘the’ before addressing any of us though. That gets kinda old.”

“She’s use to multiple different gems of the same type. If all Pearls go by Pearl how does one make a distinction.”

“I’m sure people would understand if she said the bossy one.”

“Haha.” Pearl rolled her eyes. But she didn’t fire back.

“I guess I would be pretty easy to distinguish on Homeworld,” Amesthyst said. She let out a small and breathy chuckle, lacking all humor.

Pearl stopped. It was so quiet and unexpected Pearl didn’t quite know how to react. A part of her wanted to deny the statement, tell Amethyst nothing was wrong with her. But lying seemed wrong. Cruel even. She just didn’t know how she was supposed to reassure Amethyst. Pearl fear she lacked the ability to show emotional depth in spoken words.

So she was honest instead. “Yes, I suppose you would.”

Pearl tinkered in silence for a long time. She wasn’t going to coax words from Amethyst seeing as she herself couldn’t find any.

But Amethyst did speak. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Pearl looked up. Amethyst was looking forward from where she was slumped, but not looking at Pearl. She was fixated on some point behind her.

Pearl had to remind herself to take a breath before speaking. “You didn’t need to know. You had been born with the rare opportunity to be away from Homeworld society.”

“Yeah but—“

“Homeworld still found you.”

“If you had just told me she wouldn’t’ve!”

Amethyst’s voice echoed in Pearl’s ears, even though she hadn’t really been yelling.

Pearl looked at Amethyst. She was crying. This was exactly what she had never wanted. And she knew why, she just had to be honest with Amethyst, something she tried to avoid being.

She went over and crouched down next to Amethyst. For a second Amethyst didn’t turn to face her, and she waited for her to feel comfortable talking.

When she turned, wiping her tears away with the palm of her hand, Pearl spoke. “Do you remember Yellow Diamond’s Pearl?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember her gem?”

“Um. Yeah it’s yellow.”

“It’s round.”

Amethyst looked perplexed and concerned, eyes wide and eyebrows scrunched together. Pearl continued, “I’m like you. I was formed wrong. Pearls are treated badly enough on Homeworld, but I know what it’s like to be treated as broken.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“You’ve known me long enough you tell me.” Pearl sat down fully on the ground.

“You act like an intelligent priss. But no seriously what’s up with you?”

“I would rather not say if you don’t notice anything and nothing gives me difficulty because of it. I don’t want you to treat me differently.” She intertwined her fingers in her lap and studied them.

“You can tell me anything Pearl. I’ve known you forever. My opinion on you rarely changes.”

Pearl raised her eyebrow. “Rarely.”

“Sometimes you seem a bit more annoying.” Amethyst didn’t meet Pearl’s eyes.

Pearl rolled her eyes. “You’re a little shit. We were just having a moment.”

Amethyst’s laughter seemed to fill up all the space around the barn. It gave the stars fuel to shine a little brighter. “P!”

“Steven’s fourteen now, I can indulge a little. And he’s in bed.”

“Watch I curse tomorrow and you’ll be riding my ass.”

Pearl scoffed. “I can learn to make allowances.”

Amethyst blew a raspberry.

Pearl looked over at Amethyst, annoyed. But glad, her tears had dried.


End file.
